TWO policemen were left injured after a repeat offender smashed a stolen car into a lamp-post while wrestling with one of them, who was hanging out of the passenger door.

Brian Jackson, from Leasowe, had been stopped by police while driving the Vauxhall Corsa, stolen in a burglary in Birkenhead, on Speke Road near New Mersey Retail Park shortly before midnight on April 15 this year.

Liverpool Crown court heard that PC Lee Long asked him to remove the keys from the ignition and he agreed, so the officer opened the door.

But as the officer leaned into the vehicle, Jackson, 49, of Drake Road, Leasowe, put the car into gear and accelerated away reaching up to 30mph.

The officer told how he thought I was going to be pulled under the vehicle.

He said: "I had no other option but to jump in."

Robert Jones, prosecuting, said PC Long landed on top of Jackson, who lashed out as the officer tried to pull the hand brake on.

The officer shouted for him to stop and repeatedly punched him in the face, while Jackson tried to push him out of the car.

PC Long recalled: "With my legs hanging out the door, I feared a crash would cause serious injury to my legs or worse."

The Corsa mounted the pavement, hit the lamp-post and spun round, with the door closing on PC Long's right foot.

Jackson drove off and collided with a police car containing PC Long's colleague, who got out and smashed a window of the car with his baton and arrested Jackson.

PC Long suffered cuts to his face plus bruising to his right foot and leg, head, left hand and back.

The other officer suffered a back injury.

The car owner told the court she was widowed last year and sold her late husband's vehicle to buy the Corsa.

Mr Jones told Liverpool Crown Court that it had been a "lifesaver" for her but the vehicle could now be a write-off.

The loss of the vehicle had hit her hard, he added.

Jackson admitted aggravated vehicle-taking, common assault, assaulting a constable, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

He had been banned from driving for three years in August 2016.

Judge Alan Conrad, QC, said Jackson drove dangerously and damaged a car, which was a "valuable lifeline" to its owner.

"You have wasted your life as well as hurting a lot of people along the way by repeatedly flouting the law."

The judge said he had a "dreadful record" and this offence of aggravated vehicle-taking "is very nearly as bad as it can get".

He jailed Jackson for 18 months and banned him from the road for four years and nine months.

He also ordered him to sit an extended re-test before getting back behind the wheel.

Paul Davison, defending, said Jackson decided to speed off in a "moment of madness".

He said: "His mother was ill, she was in Clatterbridge Hospital. She had recently had a stroke.

"Initially, he pulled over and co-operated with the police.

"He thought of his mother and he very foolishly took the decision to drive away."

Mr Davison added that the defendant wished to apologise to the officers and having heard the victim impact statement also wanted to say sorry to her.